Edward Bauer as Nick Bottom. Photo by Mary Ellen Stebbins.

You would think with all the artistic types hanging around bars and cafes in Williamsburg and Park Slope that there wouldn’t be such a dearth of good, indie theater in Brooklyn (or its watering holes). But there is, and that is why it is such a breath of fresh air to catch Truffle Theatre Co.–a product of Cobble Hill–and their production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 61 Local. This version, deftly directed by Claire Gresham, leaves the audience slightly tipsy from the laughter and perhaps from the beer at the bar downstairs.

Evan Prizant and Mary Ellen Stebbins designed the show with a nod to 61 Local, expertly mixing the elements of the bar that hosts the company. The audience is transported at the beginning of the show up some stairs into an exposed brick room that has been transformed into a performance space with ethereal lighting and costuming.

And while the lighting sometimes steals the show it is the unabashed hipster attitude and aloofness with which the actors present this play that gives it the most weight. The seating is in the round, and often it was hard to choose an actor to watch as they were all alluring. This is clearly a balance guided by the direction of Ms. Gresham who deserves a fair amount of credit for her staging in a very unfriendly environment to actors.

Ferelith Young stuns with her cool sexiness as Titania, then spins around a few moments later to show a frighteningly shy Starveling during the play within a play. The male lovers, Demetrius (Scott Thomas) and Lysander (Andrew Belcher) coordinate their efforts for the love of Hermia (Clare McNulty), then Helena (Lauren Coppola), with a pseudo-schoolboy playfulness filled with petty behavior. The women respond in kind with anger, loathing, love, happiness, and everything in between. Ms. Coppola plays her parts (Moth and Snout included) with an absolutely adorable quality that never treads close to being too saccharine. Ms. McNulty gives the most hipster-ish portrayal of all the actors, perhaps with a nod and a wink that makes us love her even more, especially when she plays Snug as the lion. The funniest moments often belonged to Edward Bauer who played Nick Bottom (and Egeus and Philistrate). Bauer has the ability to manipulate the language in a way that was truly American (and perhaps even a little Williamsburg).

Puck (Sarah Elmaleh) and Oberon (Pete McElligott) pop in and out of the performance to have their fun and the interplay between the two of them is familiar and easy. They both give their roles a creative twist–Mr. McElligott offering a Will Ferell-esque Oberon while Ms. Elmaleh is tomboyish and hopelessly in love with Oberon.

The show within the show aspect of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” is worth every moment in Truffle Theatre Co.’s production. Even the most jaded of Brooklynites, the most hipster of hipsters, will enjoy watching actors be actors during a performance that is, above all else, very meta.

William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” presented by Truffle Theatre Co. Directed by Claire Gresham; Starring Edward Bauer, Andrew Belch, Lauren Coppola, Sarah Elmaleh, Pete McElligott, Clare McNulty, Scott Thomas, Ferelith Young. It runs through February 26 at 61 Local Public House; tickets are $15, available here.

The guest of honor: Mary’s Maple Porter, named after Mary Wiles, Quality Control Manager at the F.X. Matt Brewery in Utica, where Brooklyn Brewery’s 12-ounce bottles are born (and the second oldest brewery in the U.S. #interestingfactoid). Not only is Wiles one of the country’s few female brewmasters, she’s also a scientist who can predict the stability of a beer AND she produces maple syrup from the 500 acres of maple trees her family owns upstate. So she’s a basically badass, maple-syrup making beer geek, which makes her an honorary Brooklynite in our book.

Fifty gallons of her syrup went into this special porter, which will be on tap at the brewery through April, and flowing freely at the brunch on Feb. 25 along with Wafels & Dinges sublime Belgian waffles, bacon galore, and of course, Mary’s syrup. The $35 tickets include:

• Waffles! – unlimited Belgian waffles from Wafels & Dinges
• Syrup! – Mary Wiles’ own Maple Syrup
• Bacon! – the best stuff on earth, piled high
• Beer! – free-flowing taps of Mary’s Maple Porter & other fine Brooklyn beers
• Coffee! – bottomless cups of Brooklyn Roasting Company coffee

Check out Garrett’s tasting notes on Mary’s Maple Porter and then snatch up tickets here.

Subway art. Really, it can be anything from the graffiti scribbles of bored drunk people waiting for the train to commissioned pieces. And, it’s like a free interactive museum all over the city.

The A/C line seems to have more than its fair share of commissioned public art, both underground and above. For the full tour start out at 14th Street in Manhattan. Life Underground by Tom Otterness has been in the station since 2001. If you take the time to meander about the platforms and look, instead of the usual rush from one train to another, you’ll notice that the little bronze statues are all over the station (on the L train platform as well), doing different things.

From there, take the A or C downtown and jump off at Chambers Street check out the mosaics, if you’re into tile art, and then continue into Brooklyn.

Get off at High Street and walk over to Cadman Plaza Park to see Well, a sculpture made out of acrylic and salvaged wood. Then, walk over to Metrotech for another Otterness piece, Visionary, plus the several larger works that make up A Promise is a Cloud. You’ll see the sculptures as you walk around. While you’re looking at the Otterness piece, turn to look at the map that’s near it. Right above it you’ll see The Struggle Continues, a Flash animation.

The next stop is just a few blocks off the C train at Lafayette Avenue, or you can walk there from Metrotech by crossing Flatbush and walking up Myrtle. Near the entrance to Fort Greene Park on Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park, you’ll find three sculptures, Ancient, Goatie Boy, and Goat as Wolf, which are cast in aluminum and originally made in reclaimed Styrofoam.

At this point you can stroll over to BAM or the Greenlight Bookstore for another cultural experience, or, grab a cup of coffee at Smooch, just a few blocks away, and then relax in the park–it’s own piece of public art.  Of course, if you’re looking for something more underground, you can hop back on the train–you’ve just got to keep your eyes open. As you walk through stations and on the street, just watch for it. It’s there.

Suzanne Stroebe and Caitlin Rueter converse with guests.

It’s too bad we’ve misplaced our pearls. They would have come in handy at A Feminist Tea Party last Saturday in DUMBO.

Fortunately, its hosts Suzanne Stroebe and Caitlin Rueter were wearing enough for all of us to feel a bit like ladies (and the occasional gentleman) who lunch. The duo have been co-hosting conversation hours in cinch-waist skirts, shrunken sweaters, kitten heels (and of course strings of pearls) for two years now. “We’ve also done pre-suffragette-era and late-sixties [costumes]– more like swinging sixties cocktail party,” Stroebe said. You could say Sarah Palin had something to do with it.

“It started a little bit as a tongue-and-cheek response to the Tea Party movement in January 2010, which is when we began,” Rueter said. “And shortly there after, Sarah Palin said she was a feminist. (The idea of which incites laughter in both ladies.) We decided we had to make fun of this in some way.” And while elements of A Feminist Tea Party are intended as a joke, including to an extent Stroebe and Rueter’s vintage attire, the larger purpose of the project is rooted in something deeper than a cup of oolong.

A Feminist Tea Party combines the conscious-raising groups of the 1970s and a historical reenactment of a mid-century tea party. As Stroebe and Rueter see it, their collaboration lies somewhere between a participatory event, a performance, an installation and a joke.

The two met in graduate school at Parsons– both women were getting the MFAs. “We were friends, but we really became close while working on this project,” Stroebe said. Their first tea party was at Winkleman Gallery in Chelsea. It lasted an afternoon, though a typical tea party lasts five hours or so at a time, and it’s not uncommon for Stroebe and Rueter to host parties that last a few days.

They’ve hosted 11 tea parties in total, and the art world seems to embrace their project. They’ve held tea time at art fairs on Governors Island and in Miami as well as at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Last November, the two packed up their pots to conduct a tea-party tour of California– Stroebe lives in San Francisco where she recently relocated from Greenpoint.

Tea for two...or many more.

It was tea for 2pm last Saturday where A Feminist Tea Party was part of the Illegitimate and Herstorical exhibition at Artists In Residence Gallery curated by Emily Roysdon as an examination of alternative economies. Fittingly, once tea was served in a covetable collection of tea cups Rueter inherited from her grandmother plus the occasional “replacements from dollar stores because we always break a few,” the conversation centered around the economy and gender with Occupy Wall Street, as well as class mobility, being discussed. Both tea and conversation were flowing before a rogue fire alarm threatened to put a kibosh on things.

Tea party attendee discussed gender, class and Occupy Wall Street, among many other things.

“I think this is a good time to grab a cupcake,” said Rueter, ever the consummate host. She and Stroebe had laid out quite a spread. It was more of a tea-party picnic with a gingham cloth and pink carnation scarf serving as the centerpiece. Tiny tea cupcakes–organic with beet icing–and bowls of strawberries complemented two pots of black and green tea and a vase of carnations. But not even the bundt cake could make us forget the droning of the fire alarm. Just as we were sure its strobing light would induce seizures, it stopped.

It’s not unusual for things other than water to get heated at A Feminist Tea Party Stroebe and Rueter say. One tea party turned into “a blood bath” when the topic turned to calling women sluts who wear provocative Halloween costumes at a college in California; however, Saturday’s installment was rather tame with clashes limited to the occasional eye roll.

After two hours of talking, the crowd had swelled to the point where it no longer fit inside the space, and partygoers began debating from the doorway. In total upwards of 40 people attended the event. The crowd ranged from tattooed hipsters to silver-haired septuagenarians. It was a mix of art-world members and people who’d stumbled in off the street. Julie Lohnes, A.I.R.’s gallery director, eventually had to put an end to the party as Illegitimate and Herstorical’s closing reception was slated to begin.

In an effort to get up and see guests off and on their way, Rueter sadly shattered a clover-printed tea cup she’d been sipping out of all afternoon. (She’d break another five cups while cleaning up).

“It always happens,” she said, shaking her head and collecting the shards.

Samurai Mama bills itself as a noodle tavern.

Anna Dunn, editor of The Diner Journal and Katy Porte, a real estate agent who has worked at The Commodore, Roebling Tea Room and No Name Bar, seem to know everyone in North Brooklyn. They head for noodles when they want a meal to themselves. Dunn asked: How would two 30-year-old lesbians resist a place as subversively named as Samurai Mama? Or for that matter, something that refers to itself as a “noodle tavern?” My wife Katy and I go there to sit in the elevated booths, drink Sencha tea, which I categorically deny enjoying but secretly covet a cup, plot the week, and evaluate the endless to-do lists crumpled up in our pockets. Here, in between multiple orders of gyoza, is where we planned our wedding, decided to adopt another dog. When we run into a friend it remains a quiet affair. Mama, and I thank her for it, remains more meditation than celebration.

The dining room at 1 or 8 is miminalist, comfortable and intimate.

Erin Gerken and Zeb Stewart, two of the owners of Cafe Collette and Hotel Delmano (Stewart is also an owner at Union Pool) have also made noodles their go-to for a quiet moment after a frenzied day. Gerken wrote: Zeb and I are always looking for a great bowl of ramen.  A little known neighborhood secret, (in South Williamsburg) is the late night menu at 1 or 8.  They serve a DELICIOUS bowl of ramen, along with other tasty treats, starting at midnight on the weekends…perfect for restaurant folks!  It’s such a nice reward to go there after a busy Friday or Saturday night.  This is one of our favorite restaurants anyway, their sushi is some of the best we’ve had in the city, but the late night bar menu feels like a more casual version, and is definitely an added treat!

Dressler, designed to impress.

Restauranteur/chef Craig Samuel, co-owner of Peaches, Peaches HotHouse and The Smoke Joint, has spent many a night with his wife at the usual suspects for romantic meals out: Al di La, Palo Santo, The Good Fork and closer to home, Saraghina and Sud. But when pressed to pick one, his wife reminded him that the most romantic restaurant in Brooklyn that he’d ever taken her to was Dressler, in Williamsburg. He quickly agreed. “It’s really one of the most beautiful restaurants in New York,” said Samuel. “I love all the ironwork, the bar stools and the bar, and my wife thinks that the dining room looks like an updated, Brooklyn version of Gramercy Tavern.”

Dara Furlow, creator of With Love, From Brooklyn and a mom to three, praised Saraghina as her to-go spot for family celebrations and date night alike. She wrote: Saraghina is a secret romantic hideaway in the ‘hood.  The crowd is mostly locals, with tons of kids and families early-on seguing to younger couples and boisterous groups of friends later in the evening, so going after 8 is essential if you want to feel sexy. Candlelight is the main source of illumination in the evening, making Saraghina the ideal spot for cozying up to my sweetheart. The real thrill for a mom of three is lingering over vin santo and biscotti with no little voices clamoring to be set free into the Bed-Stuy night.

Super Bowl parties present a bit of a quandary for foodies like me. I can’t stomach the thought of a whole evening spent with cans of Coors Light and boring ham-and-American-cheese sub sandwiches topped by soggy lettuce and mealy wintertime tomatoes. Yet I’ve found people tend to poke fun if you show up at a football fiesta with truffled toasts or pine nut artichoke dip.

Saving the day by splitting the difference: No.7 Sub Greenpoint, the borough’s newest and most creative sandwich shop (and one of the first of our most anticipated 2012 Brooklyn food and drink openings to get off the ground.) For Super Bowl Sunday, the whacked-out sub shop is offering any of its sandwiches in super-sized,  six-foot versions. Fancy enough for foodies; but downscale enough for a drunken Super Bowl throwdown. BB stopped by and tasted a few of No. 7′s new options.

Meat Sub: Bologna Sandwich (pictured above)

This one’s primed to please everyone at a Brooklyn Super Bowl party. Impress your meathead friends with the thick-thick slices of porky bologna, but for foodies, play up the innovative toppings: Brussels sprouts, pickled red onions and a spicy vindaloo mayo.

Vegetarian Sub: Roasted Cauliflower

Yes, vegetarians get to watch the Super Bowl, too. Now they can enjoy it with just as playful a sandwich as the rest of us. No. 7′s cauliflower sub is topped with potato chips, scallions, raisins, and smoked French dressing. Yes, it kind of sounds like something a kid invented, but it’s actually a crunchy, delicious wonder.

Vegan Sub: Fried Broccoli

Even meat-and-dairy-free folks can get in on the unhealthy, oversize fun with this new sub, which adapts the popular batter fried broccoli dish served at the original No. 7 restaurant, paired here with marinara sauce, olives and banana peppers.

The six-foot Super Bowl versions of No. 7 Sub’s sandwiches are $75 each. Orders must be placed by 6pm Friday and picked up by 6pm Sunday. 931 Manhattan Ave., no7sub.com, 718-389-7775

And…..More Brooklyn Super Sub Options:

Mile End in Boerum Hill has $100 Super Bowl sandwich platters that include their signature Montreal-style smoked meat with mustard on rye; salami with pickles and mustard on onion flatbread; and roasted veggies with tzatsiki sauce. Plus, they have what is pretty much the ultimate foodie-meats-footballer appetizer: poutine potato skins ($50)! But hurry—orders must be placed by Thursday at Noon. 97a Hoyt St., mileendbrooklyn.com, 718-852-7510

Baguette About It! in Fort Greene is offering full-baguette versions of each of their sandwiches this Sunday, for $16 each. (I’m a fan of the chicken breast & applewood-smoked bacon with New York state cheddar.) Order by Friday, pick up Sunday between 11am and 3pm. 270 Vanderbilt Ave., 718-622-8333

If you simply must go old-school, Graham Avenue Meats & Deli in Williamsburg is serving up six-footers of any of their classic Italian subs (the prosciutto-heavy Godfather is a favorite). $150 gets you the sandwich, 24 buffalo wings, a side of macaroni salad, and two two-liter sodas. 445 Graham Ave., 718-389-9777

Outernational opening for GBH in 2010.

Well, the Super Bowl is this Sunday, and as you may have heard, a little team called the New York Giants will be playing. So the city is likely to be awash with football fever. But maybe you don’t like to watch men in tight pants bash into each other between ridiculously expensive commercial breaks. You could watch the Puppy Bowl instead, but maybe you want to get out of the house and pretend that sports don’t exist for a few hours.

So the natural solution is to find a show to see. And luckily, there are a few of them happening on Sunday night.

Outernational rocks the Acheron (57 Waterbury Street) on Sunday, wrapping up their current tour. They’ll be playing from all of their records, including the most recent one that came about thanks to their successful Kickstarter campaign. If you’re into unapologetically political rock that pulls influence from punk, reggae and world music, check this gig out. The show is all ages, and doors are at 8pm.

Feminist group Permanent Wave keeps putting on excellent shows around Brooklyn, and this Sunday should be no exception. Head over to the Big Snow Buffalo Lodge (89 Varet Street) to hear feelings-heavy pop from Allison Weiss, some pop-punk from Traveling, lo-fi garage punk from Swearin’ and the folk-rock sounds of Early Riser. The doors for this gig are at 8pm and the music starts at 9. It’s $7 at the door.

If those two aren’t enough, you can head over to the Glasslands Gallery (289 Kent Avenue) for a PopGun show. Check out Young Unknowns, who play “dance music without drum machines and use cosmic samplings of our universe to connect you with something that lies far beyond the matrix,” alongside electronic cabaret-sounding singer Jessie Kilguss, scaled-back pop act Railbird, and Brooklyn folk-rockers Noisycrane. This show is 21 and over, starts at 8:30 pm and advance tickets are available for $10.

No One by Railbirdmusic

Over at With Love, from Brooklyn, Dara Furlow gathering together the best of the borough for you (sort of like what we do here at BB, but in edible form). She’s rounding up some of the tastiest and coolest Brooklyn-made products and selling them in inspired gift sets. These are not your mom’s gift baskets, especially the Valentine’s Day special, Hot and Bothered.

And, we have one for a special reader who is hot and bothered enough to post their favorite spicy food, drink, confection or treat in the comments below. We’ll choose a random commenter Thursday at 3pm.

Here are the hot and spicy details:
This gift set ($48) includes Wicked Hot Chocolate and a Wicked Chocolate Bar from Jacques Torres, Mezcal Chili Truffles from Nunu Chocolates, and Spoonable Chili Caramel.

Jacques Torres Wicked Hot Chocolate, 18-oz tin: Feel a slow burn from ancho and chipotle chilis. European-style hot chocolate, unbelievably thick and rich, made with Jacques Torres’ signature cocoa nibs and other natural ingredients.

Jacques Torres Wicked Chocolate Bar, 2.8 oz: Deep, dark chocolate with a hint of ancho and chipotle chilis. Only Mr. Chocolate could make a bar this bold––pure dark chocolate with a spicy, smoky finish.

Nunu Chocolates Mezcal Chili Truffles, 4-pc box: Dark chocolate filled with mezcal and chili ganache. These boozy, spicy truffles will get your blood pumping and leave you begging for more.

Spoonable Chili Caramel, 4-oz jar: The perfect balance of caramel richness and chili heat. This spicy caramel does double duty as a dessert topping or a tangy glaze for spareribs.

Perhaps you’ve had some success–or maybe not.  It’s possible you’re following outdated advice, and doing things that seem healthy, but that in fact may be sabotaging you. Are you subscribing to any of these common healthy eating myths?

MYTH 1:  Guzzling skim milk and/or popping calcium supplements is the best way to strengthen my bones (and lose weight)!

MYTH 2: A spinach salad is clearly an excellent choice for lunch every day.

MYTH 3: A calorie is a calorie. Oreos and potato chips are totally cool as long as I stay within my calorie or point limit for the day.

MYTH 4: Splenda and Equal are great substitutes for sugar, and diet soda is so much better than regular. Making these changes will help me throw off my spare tire.

MYTH 5: The best diet for everyone to follow is a high protein/low carb diet.

Bwuuuah?

That’s right–blindly heeding these myths will not get you where you want to go. What will help you is an individualized plan, tailored to help you and to address your unique needs as you work to drop weight, fix your chronic digestive problems, gain more energy, or quash your uncontrollable cravings.
Certified holistic nutrition counselor Jennifer Schonborn can help. She’ll look at all areas of your life to help you make small, slow changes that encourage steady weight loss and overall better health.

What some of Jennifer’s clients have said…

• “I lost about 30 pounds while seeing Jennifer, and gained what I call a ‘food conscience.’ It’s like a mini Jen in my ear, cheerleading me on.”

• “I learned so much about food and how it affects your body and mind, and how painless doing all this actually was with Jen’s direction and knowledge.”

• “It is such a relief to know that I am now truly in control of myself at meal times.”

Jennifer offers a free, one-hour nutrition consultation, and if you sign on for her program after the consultation, you’ll also get a free counseling session when you mention Brooklyn Based (a $125 value). Explore her site (where you can download a free eNutrition book!), read her clients’ success stories, then get in touch here.